Funnyman Ed Helms has Academy Award hopes after movie executives at Warner Brothers urged him to submit his half-improvised piano ballad in THE HANGOVER for Oscars consideration.
Helms and director Todd Phillips wrote the tune Stu's Song - about tiger kidnapping, friendship and Las Vegas debauchery - just hours before they shot the scene, and movie bosses were so impressed they insisted the pair got serious about the comic song.
The actor says, "We went through the whole process; I hired, like, an orchestrator to write it out... It's in the running."
Helms performed his Hangover ditty, fully orchestrated, on The Tonight Show on Thursday night (06Aug09).
He also showed off his scat singing skills by performing with fellow guests the Jonas Brothers.